Pietism

Background

Pietism was a movement of spiritual renewal that arose within the German Lutheran Church in the late seventeenth century. After the Reformation, the Lutheran Church devoted its energies to refining doctrine in scholarly fashion and to disputing with other confessions. The Pietists believed that this tendency leaned too heavily on doctrinal knowledge and failed to transform the actual lives of believers. Another factor was the perception that the church had fallen into spiritual stagnation following the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Writers who stressed inward faith, such as Johann Arndt, author of True Christianity, laid the groundwork for the movement. The name "Pietist" is said to have originally been a term of derision.

Development

• 1670: Philipp Jakob Spener (1635–1705), a pastor in Frankfurt, began the "gatherings of piety" (collegia pietatis), in which believers met regularly to read devotional books and share their faith. Rich and poor, men and women, took part together.
• 1675: Spener published Pia Desideria ("Pious Desires," also rendered "Pious Longings") as a preface to a collection of Arndt's sermons. In this work he set forth six proposals for reform: that Scripture be read more widely, both privately and in the church; that laypeople fulfill their responsibilities as part of the priesthood of all believers; that faith be shown in the practice of love rather than in knowledge; that restraint be exercised in doctrinal controversy; that ministerial education cultivate piety along with learning; and that preaching aim at building up the inner person. This year is commonly regarded as the starting point of Pietism.
• 1690s: August Hermann Francke (1663–1727), who had experienced conversion in 1687, led a student group in Leipzig until he was barred from lecturing. With Spener's help, he then became a professor at the newly founded University of Halle. In 1695 he established an orphanage and a school in Halle, which later grew into the Francke Foundations, with a school for the poor, a pharmacy, and a publishing house. Halle became the center of Pietism.
• 1706: Pietist missionaries departed for Tranquebar in India.
• 1727: The Pietist tradition passed to Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (1700–1760), who had studied at Halle. That year a revival of the Moravian Brethren began at Herrnhut.

Results and Influence

Pietism popularized a form of faith that emphasized small-group meetings, personal Bible study, and practical piety in everyday life. Through his writings and correspondence, Spener exercised such influence that he was called "the spiritual counselor of all Germany." The Francke Foundations became an example of faith expressed through education and social welfare. The mission to Tranquebar is regarded as an early instance of Protestant missions. In its emphasis on lay participation and on faith displayed in daily life, Pietism bears some resemblance to the small groups and discipleship training of the Korean church today.

Assessment

Those who view Pietism favorably hold that the movement called for a "reformation of life" without abandoning confessional doctrine. In Korea, Pietism is sometimes called a "second Reformation" in introductions to Pia Desideria.

The movement also met considerable opposition in its own day. Although Pia Desideria was widely welcomed, pastors felt that proposals emphasizing the laity threatened their own office. Theology professors resented Spener's criticism of their methods of instruction. Francke's gatherings likewise drew criticism from traditional Lutherans for their Bible-centered revivalism and social activity. Even within Pietism, Halle and Herrnhut differed over the proper manner of Christian living.